Record marker for dictating machines



Sept. 23, 1952 F. E. RUNGE 2,611,620

RECORD MARKER FOR DICTATING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet l Sept 23, 1952 F. E.-RUNGE 2,611,620

RECORD MARKER FOR DICTATING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1948 4 sheets-sheet 2 WY/"1H -l'ii H!A A Iii ln Q. 9

INVENTOR FRANK E. RUNGE ATTORNEY Sept. 23, 1952 F. E. RUNGE 2,611,620

RECORD MARKER FOR DICTATING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 f HIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIHHIIIHIIIII ::JZ 54 et T4/m ATTO'RN EY Sept. 23, 1952 F. E, RUNGE' REcoRD MARKER RoR DICTATING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 lNVENTOR FRANK E. RUNGE ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 23,V 1952 RECORD MARKER FR DICTAT'ING MACHINES y Frank E. Runge, Branford, Conn., assigner to The Sounds'criber Corporation, New Haven, Conn., acci-poration of Connecticut Application August 24, 194s, serial No. 45,952

This invention relates to dictating. machines of the type having a phonographic recording arm which is movable across a record member to form record grooves therein, and more particularly to a manually-operable device for actuating said arm to make indexing marks upon the record member.

In the use of dictating machines, it is quite usual for the operator to dictate a number of letters in succession upon a single record. Further, during dictation the operator often realizes that he has made an error which he does not wish to appear in the transcription, so that some means is necessary to call the error and the subsequent correction to the attention of the person who is to transcribe the record.

For these reasons, and to `avoid the loss of time, it is customary to provide an index for each of the records made uponthe dictating machine so that a person later transcribing or referring to the record may easily nd the location of the corrections, the letter endings, and other special points which may occur thereon.

Heretofore such indexes have been kept upon sheets or strips of paper which were marked by the operator of the dictating machine, thus requiring him to interruptv his train ci thought and causing; delay. Further, these sheets or strips were an added encumbrance, andv were likely to be mislaid.

Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide `a device whereby wide spaces may .be formed at desired points` between the grooves of the record member during the recording operation so as to providea visible index upon the record member itself, whereby separate index strips or sheets will be unnecessary.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature which includes means A`for preserving the continuity of the spiral v'grooves across the wide index spaces, whereby the voperation of a playback will not be interrupted by said spaces.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature which includes means whereby the device may be actuated by a simple motionof the operators finger, whereby a minimum of attention on thepart of the operator will be required. Y

Another object is to provide a device mounted on the recording arm for laterally moving said arm to produce an indexing space on the record.

A further Objectis to provide a device of the abovenature which will be simple ,in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install 9 Claims. (Cl. 274-13) and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may con veniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawings, j l

Fig. 1 is a p lan view of a portionoi a diotating machine showing a recording arm having the improved record marker thereon. ,y 4

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same with the marker in normal position, certain parts beingshown'in section. s

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the marker as it would appear with the key depressed, other parts being shown in broken lines.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view on anenlarged scale, showing the dash pot and the switch;v

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional side view on an enlarged scale showing the clutch as it would appear from a plane behind the outer retaining disk, with the parts in normal position. Y

Fig. 6 is a similar view, but showing the clutch as it would appear from a plane behind the clutch lever, and showing the parts as they would appear with the key depressed.

Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the same, looking upwardly, showing the clutch in section.` s

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view of the rear end of the recording arm,` showing the friction drive and the worm.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts Y throughout the several views, the numeral I6 indicates a recording arm, the front end of which supports a vertically swingable recording head I I by means of a flexible hingev strip I2, said recording head being provided with a recording stylus I3.

The recording arm I0 preferably is of the type disclosed in the copending application of Lincoln Thompson, entitled Phonograph Recording Arrn Clamps, Serial Number 615,223, filed September 8, 1945, patented August 9, 1949, Number 2,478,722, and is supported above a horizontal chassis vplate I4 and adapted to be slowly swung by means of a vertical feed shaft I5 (to be further described hereinafter) so that the stylus i3 may form closely spaced record grooves I6 upon the surface of a record disk I I which iscarriedupon a horizontal turntable I8. The turntable Iis supported above the chassis plate I4 and is adapted to be rotated by means of a turntable shaft I 9,

In order to hold the recording head II in a raised position and simultaneously hold the recording arm I against swinging when the machine is not in operation, provision is made of a vertically movable lifting rod 20. The upper end of lthe lifting rod 20 carries a clamping shoe 2I adapted to engage the rear leg of a U-shaped head lifting bracket 22 which is secured to the rear of the recording head I I, whereby the stylus I3 may be lifted from the disk I1 and held in raised position.

The lifting rod 20 also carries a washer 23 for clamping a thin, resilient, clamping plate 24 which is secured to the upper surface of the arm IIJ by means of screws 25, whereby said arm will be firmly held against horizontal swinging movement during the time that the head II is held in raised position.

It will be seen that the recording arm I0 and the clamping plate 24 are provided with arcuate slots 26, 21, respectively, whereby the arm I0 may swing without interference from the vertical lifting rod 20. Y

In order to regulate the pressure of the stylus I3 upon the disk I1, the weight of the recording head I I is partially counterbalanced by means of a vertical leaf spring 28, which is secured to the forward end of the recording arm IU and rotatably carries a horizontal adjusting screw 29 which isengaged in a tapped lug 30 upon the recording head II. The lug 30 preferably is split and resiliently grips the adjusting screw 26 whereby accidental turning of said screw will be prevented.

It will be understood that the feed shaft I will `normally swing the recording arm I0 across the record disk I1 at a constant slow speed when the turntable I8 is in rotation, so that the stylus I3 will form the grooves I6 in closely spaced spiral arrangement.

Slip-friction feed The recording arm I0 is operatively connected to the feed shaft I5 by means of a fiber slipfriction washer SI (Fig. 8) which is supported upon the feed shaft I5 by =a nut 32 xed on said shaft by means of a set screw 33. The upper face of the fiber washer 3l is engaged by an intermediate steel friction washer 34 in contact with a fiber worm gear 35,.which is normally held stationary with reference to the arm I0 by means of a lateral worm 36 meshed therewith.

The recording arm I0 is carried upon the upper end portion of the feed shaft I5 above the worm gear 35 and isv pressed downwardly by a conical coiled. spring 3l so as to maintain a degree of' friction between the washer 3i, the intermediate Washer 34, and the worm. gear 35 which is sufcient to drive the arm I6.. This friction, however, will not prevent the operator from manually swinging said arm when desired.

The degree of. said friction may be adjusted by means of a retaining nut 38 which is threaded upon a reduced upper end 39 of the feed shaft I5 above the conical spring 31. A pair of washers 40 having ball bearings 4I therebetween is inten posed between the spring 3.1 and the arm Ill., in order to prevent friction at this point from influencing the operation of the slip-friction washer 3 I.

The lateralworm 36 is fixed upon a worm shaft 42 (Fig. '1), which is `iournaled in apertures 43, 44, formed in depending side flanges 45, 46, respectively, of the recording arm I0. It will be noted that the aperture 44 in the side flange 46 is elongated, thereby permitting the worm 36 to be pressed toward the worm gear 35 and held in close engagement therewith by means of an inclined leaf spring 41, which bears against a rounded end 48 of the worm shaft 42 and is mounted upon the depending fiange 46 by means of a pair of screws 49. Thus, there will be no lost motion or backlash between the worm gear 35 and the lateral worm 36.

The lateral worm 36 is adapted to be turned in a step-by-step movement by mechanism comprising a manually-depressible key 5I) at the front of the recording head I I. The key 56 is integrally formed on a U-shaped lever 5I which extends in spaced relation around the front and sides of the recording head II, and which is vertically swingable upon a pair of trunnions 52, 53 on the outer sides of the depending flanges 45, 46, respectively.

Clutch The left side of the U-shaped lever 5I has an integral rearward extension 54 which is adapted to operate. the wenn shaft 42 by means of an automatic clutch indicated generally by the numeral 55.

The clutch 55 comprises a hardened steel disk 56 having a force lit upon a hub 51 which is pressed onto a reduced end section 58 of the worm shaft 42 (Figs. 5, 6, and 7) rlrovision is made of a clutch lever 59, which has a'front arm 6U and a rear arm 6I, and is loosely confined against the cuter face of the steel disk 56. bymeans of an cuter retaining disk 62. The reduced end 5B of the worm shaft 42 is headed over at 63 in order to secure said disk 62.

The central portion of the clutch lever 59 is enlarged and provided with an opening 64 which receives the hub 51 and is of ample size to permit considerable freedom of movement between the hub `51 and the lever 59.

A one-way automatic clutching action is obtained between the disk 56 and the lever 59 by means of a segment-shaped stud 65, which is fixed to the clutch lever 59 rearwardly of the opening 64, and a gripping ring 66 which embraces the stud 65 and the disk 56.

The stud 65 is secured to the clutch lever 59 by a reduced integral lug portion 61 (Figs. 6 and '7) which is forced into an opening in said lever, and also is segment-shaped to insure against rotation in said opening.

In order to improve the gripping action of the ring 66, said ring is provided with a pair of inwardly-projecting lands having gripping faces 68. 69 (Fig. 6) opposite the stud 65. Thus, 'a downward movement ofthe clutch lever arrn 66 will turn the stud 65 suiciently to bind the disk 56 against the gripping 'faces 68, 69, and the clutch lever '59 will be firmly coupled to the disk 66 as long as downward pressure upon the front arm 66 continues.

When the arm 6.6 is relieved of downward pressure, it will move upwardly under the inuence of a two-armed wire spring 1Il which is coiled. around the worm shaft 42 between the side flange 45 and an inner retaining disk 1I, the latter serving also to hold the gripping ring 66 loosely against the inner face of the clutch lever 69. This upward movement of the arm 66 will, of course, turn the stud 65 sufciently to release the. steel disk 56, thus permitting the latter to remain stationary.

The two-armed spring 1B has a hooked inner end 12 which is engaged under the arm IIl, and a hooked outer end 13 which is engaged in an aperture 14 in the rear lever arm 6I to exert downward pressure thereon, so that said spring not only urges the front arm v(il) upwardly, but also holds the stud 65 and the gripping faces 68, 69 of the ring 5S lightly against the steel disk 56 during reverse movement of `the lever 59, thereby avoiding any lost motion in the clutch 55.

In order to operatively connect the front arm 6I] and the extension 54 of the U-shaped lever 5I, the lower edge of said extension 54 bears against an anti-friction roller 75 which is carried upon a headed stud I6 extending inwardly from said arm 5G.

Operating sp1-ing The key 59 is normally held in a raised position (in which the clutch lever arm 60 will be depressed) by means of a relatively stiff coiled operating spring Il (Figs. l, 2, and 3). The spring 'Il has a hooked rear end 'i8 which is anchored in an aperture inthe rear end of a stationary dashpot I9 (to be further described hereinafter). Y

The spring Tl also has a hooked front end 8i) which is operatively connected to the lllshaped lever 5I by means including an angular bracket BI over which said hooked end is engaged. The bracket 8| is adjustably held by a headed screw 32 which is supported in an aperture in the outwardly-extending front end 33 of a dashpot connecting rod `84. The connecting rod 94 is secured adjacent its front end to an upwardly-extending lug 85 on the extension 5d lof the U- shaped lever 5I by means of a pivotal connection 86.,

Thus, manual depression of the key 50 will raise the extension 54 against the force of the coil spring l1, and thereby permit the clutch lever 59 to be moved counterclockwise by the twoarmed spring 19.

When the operatorreleases the key 5i), the coiled spring 'I1 will be permitted to depress the extension 54, thereby causing the automatic clutch 55 to turn the worm 35 and increase the spacing of the grooves I6 by swinging the recording arm I0 at increased speed.

Dashpot Y In order that the swinging Yof the arm Iii shall be gradual, however, so as to preserve the continuity of the record grooves I6, the action of the spring TI is retarded by a piston 8l in the dashpot 'I9 (Fig. 4); said piston being pivotally secured to the rear end of the dashpot connecting rod 84.

The dashpot I9 comprises a cylinder 88 which is fixed upon a side portion of the recording arm I0 adjacent the feed shaft I5 by means of a pair of straps 89 and screws 90, said cylinder receiving the piston 81 with an airtight sliding fit. The cylinder 88 is provided with a rear end closure 9| having an angular passage 92 in which an adjustableneedle Valve 93 is disposed, whereby air may bleed from the dashpot 'i9 at a controlled rate. The needle valve 93 is preferably secured against accidental change of adjustment by cement 93a.

In order to permit the dashpot 'I9 to be charged with air rapidly, anintake opening 94 is formed in the side wall of the cylinder l8S in such a position that it will be uncovered when the piston 81 has been withdrawn to a predetermined intermediate point in said cylinder.

Turntable switch Inasmuch as the operator may wish to depress the key 59 whenthe turntable I8 is stationary, provisionv is made of a sensitive electric switch for closing the turntable motor circuit, thereby insuring that the turntable I8 will be in rotation during the accelerated swinging of the recording arm I0, so that the stylus I3 will form a spiral groove rather than an abrupt angular mark.

be releasedby forward movement of the lug 98.

thereby closing the switch IE5-said switch remaining closed for a time after the key 5t is released, because of the delaying action vof the dashpot 19.

The normal upward return movement of the' key 59 is limited by an inclined leaf overtravel spring 99 (Figs. 1, 5, and 6), which is adapted to be engaged by downward movement of "a lug lili! at the rear end of the lever extension 5d and is secured to the upper surface of the arm I9 by means of a screw IDI. The height of therear end of the overtravel spring 99 is adjustable -by means of a screw |92 which is threaded into the upper side of the arm i9, and preferably will be so adjusted as to halt the action of the coil spring 'I'I immediately after the point at which the laterally-extending lug 98 engages the switch arm 96 and opens the switch 95.

Manual head-lifting device At times, the operator will desire to lift the recording head Il so as to swing it manually in a lateral direction over the record disk. For this purpose, the top'of the recording head II has a lateral cross arm |83 (Figs. 1 and 2) secured thereto so that when the operator lifts the key 59, the U-shaped lever 5I will engage the ends of said cross arm and thus lift the recording head I I from the record disk Il. This operation will be permitted by the resilience of the overtravel spring 99, whereby the bracket 5I may be lifted beyond its normal stopping point.

In order to protect the disk Il against injury and to gauge the action of the record marker,k

downward movement of the key 5S is limited by a hooked angular limiting spring Ide, which is secured at its front end by the screwV itl and extends over the top of the bracket extension 59.

A stiff angular stop arm I55 also is secured above the angular limiting spring Idil by the screw IGI in order to preventk excessive delection of said limiting` spring.

Operation A machine provided with the improved record marker `herein disclosed vwill operate in the customary way, in which the stylus I3 will swing slowly across the record' disk I1 at a constant speed so as to form the closely spaced record groovesV I6 therein.

During dictation, when the operator wishes to indicate a point of correction, or any other point to which he desires to call the stenographers attention, he will depress and release the key E@ once. This action will permit the coiled spring 'il to operate through the clutch 55 and the worm 39 to turn the worm gear 35, and thus swing the arm 66 at greater than its normalspeed, so as t0 form visible indexing spaces 'shown at tilt 'and 101 in Figi. The stylus f3 will remain in operation so that the continuity of the record grooves will be unbroken.

The dashpot 18 will, of course, be adjusted by means of the needle valve 93 so as to control the swinging of the arm i!) to permit the stylus i3 to produce a suitable gradual lead groove across the index space. It has been found that if the turntable operates at a speed of 33 R. P. M., for example, the needle valve 93 will preferably be adjusted to provide an operating interval of approximately 1/ second.

If the operator wishes to provide an index mark which distinguishes from other marks in order to indicate a special point, such as a letter ending, he may depress the key 5i! two or more times in succession, thereby forming a wider index space such as the space 188.

The record marker herein disclosed` will operate even when the turntable I8 is not in normal operation, inasmuch as depression of the key 59. will cause the switch 85' to close and remain closed during the operation of the marker, thus causing the turntable I8 to rotate, and maintaining the continuity of the record groove across the index space.

The improved record marker will not interfere with manual swinging of the arm l0, inasmuch as the cross arm m3 permits the recording head ll to Vbe lifted by means of the key 5S, and the slip-friction washer 3l will permit said arm to be swung, whether or not the feed shaft l5 cr the worm 3G are in operation.

Further, the slip-friction washer 3l will permit the parts of the record marker to operate without damage if the key 50 should be accidentally depressed While the arm Hl is clamped in stationary position by the lifting rod 29. Such operation would, of course, be ineffective to provide an index space on the record disk.

One advantage of the improved record marker herein disclosed is that it will form index spaces upon a record disk which are easily visible to a stenographer or other person referring to the disk.

Another advantage is that the marker will be actuated by a simple movement of the key, and its operation will require no further attention on the part of thel operator.

While there has been disclosed in this specicar tion one form Vin which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure, but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

I. In a motor driven phonographic machine having means for supporting and driving a record member, a recording stylus, a stylus support, and feed means for moving said stylus support laterally at a predetermined speed across a record member on said supporting and driving means; mechanism on said stylus support for increasing the speed of movement of said stylus support, manually operable means controlling said mechanisrn, and a motor operating switch operated by said mechanism for actuating said record supporting and driving means during the time said mechanism is in operation, whereby movement ofthe record will normally be insured during lateral movement of the stylus.

2. In a phcnog'raphic machine, a feed shaft, a recording arm on said feed shaft, a worm gear on said feed shaft, a worm rotatably carried on said recording arm and meshing with said worm gear, means for driving said worm, and a frictional connection between said feed shaft and said worm gear, whereby the recording arm may be swung selectively by rotation of the'feed shaft or by operation of said worm, and said arm may be manually swung independently of the operation of said worm and said feed shaft.

3. The. invention as defined in claim 2, including a manually swiruga-ble` lever on said recording arm, and clutch means connecting said lever and said worm, said clutch means having elements engageable by operation of said lever, whereby the recording arm may be swung by operating said lever.

4. The invention as dened in claim 2, including a dashpot having a piston, and linkage connecting said piston and said lever for retarding swinging movement. of said lever, whereby said arm may be swung at a predetermined speed.

5. In a phonographic machine having means for rotating a record member, a recording stylus, a feed shaft, and a stylus supporting arm mechanism including said feed shaft for moving said arm laterally with relation to a record member driven by said rotating means, and said mechanism further comprising a worm on said arm, a worm gear in mesh with said worm, said worm gear being frictionally and concentrically supported by said feed shaft, whereby rotation of said worm may move said arm for forming a spiral groove in said record member.

6. In a dictating machine having a disk record supporting turntable, a pivotally supported recording arm, means to drive said arm slowly over said turntable during normal recording, said recording arm having a stylus for forming grooves in said disk, key-operated mechanism mounted upon said recording arm and connected with said drive means for swinging said arm more rapidly than during normal recording for a predetermined short period of time, producing a relatively wide space having a groove of higher pitch than normal, a dash pot for retarding the operation of said more rapidly swinging mechanism, whereby said higher pitch groove will be smoothly connected with the adjacent grooves, and said space will form a visible indicator for the stenographer transcribing said record.

'7. In a dictating machine having a turntablecarrying record disk, a shaft, a recording arm driven by said shaft, means to slowly rotate said shaft to. swine said arm over said turntable at normal recording speed, said recording arm having a stylus for forming grooves in said disk; keyoperated mechanism upon said recording arm and connected with said swinging means to advance said arm. more rapidly than its normal speed, and means engageable by said swinging mechanism and comprising a turntable starting switch for maintaining rotation of -said turntable during the operation of said swinging mechanism even if said turntable were previously at rest, whereby an abrupt change in the direction of the groove formed by the stylus will be avoided.

8. In a phonographic dictating machine having a record driving means, a recording stylus, a stylus support, means for moving said stylus support laterally across the record at a predetermined normal recording speed, mechanism connected to said stylus support for producing an indexing space by increasing the speed of movement of said stylus support across said record above normal speed imparted by said movingr means, comprising a driving element, means for controlling the speed of operation of said driving element, means to repeatedly actuate said mechanism at the will of the operator during movement of said stylus support across the record, whereby the groove formed by said stylus will be continuous and the spacing between normally recorded sections thereof may be varied, and means connected to said mechanism for actuating said record driving means whenever said mechanism is in operation whereby movement of the record will -be insured during lateral movement of the stylus and a smooth spiral groove will be formed thereon.

9. In a phonographic diotating machine having a record driving means, a recording stylus, a stylus support, means for moving said stylus support laterally across the record at a predetermined normal recording speed, key-operated repeatedly-actuatable mechanism connected to FRANK E. RUNGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,958,616 Gent May 15, 1934 2,262,732 Gruber Nov. 11, 1941 

